Diving For Pearls

Katherine Thomson’s story about aspiration and reinvention is one of the great Australian plays. Set in Wollongong during the economic rationalism of the late 80s, Diving for Pearls remains startlingly relevant—the political decisions of that time planted the seeds of divide we continue to witness between those with opportunity, and those without.

With the town she grew up in changing all around her, Barbara is determined to change with it. Dreaming of a way out, she sets her sights on landing a job at one of the new resorts popping up all over town. Meanwhile, her partner Den is having change forced upon him. The steelworks he’s worked at his whole life has been sold and Den must reinvent himself to survive. The arrival of Barbara’s daughter, Verge, just might be the thing that tips Barbara and Den over the edge.

KATHERINE THOMSON began her career in the theatre as an actor. For the stage she has written Harbour, Navigating, Diving for Pearls, Barmaids, Mavis Goes to Timor and Wonderlands all published by Currency. Other plays performed by leading theatre companies include Kayak, A Sporting Chance, Darlinghurst Nights and This Hospital is My Country. She has also written extensively for television where her credits include Grass Roots, Blackjack, Wildside, Fallen Angels, Halifax fp, GP and Something in the Air. She has been nominated for five New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, winning for Harbour and three Australian Film Institute Awards and has won multiple AWGIEs - three in 2006 alone, two as co-writer of the television series Answered by Fire and a third for her screenplay for the film Unfolding Florence - The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst. She has been Vice-President of the Australian Writers' Guild and President of Sydney PEN. In 2005 she received the ANPC Award for her contribution to the Australian theatre industry.

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